Varaha Purana 155.40 — Adhyaya 155, Shloka 40
The Efficacy and Sacred Merit of Akrūra Tīrtha
या गतिस्तां प्रपद्येऽहं यद्यहं नागमे पुनः ॥ श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ सुधनस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सन्तुष्टो ब्रह्मराक्षसः ॥
yā gatis tāṃ prapadye’haṃ yady ahaṃ nāgame punaḥ || śrīvarāha uvāca || sudhanasya vacaḥ śrutvā santuṣṭo brahmarākṣasaḥ ||
या गतिस्तां प्रपद्येऽहं यद्यहं नागमे पुनः। श्रीवराह उवाच—सुधनस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सन्तुष्टो ब्रह्मराक्षसः।
Varāha (explicit: śrīvarāha uvāca)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"prayaschitta","instruction_summary":"The oath concludes by accepting the same ‘gati’ (destiny) as the invoked sinners if the promise is broken; truthful resolve pacifies the brahmarākṣasa.","karmic_consequence":"Truthful, firm speech leads to release and reconciliation; falsehood would entail the threatened sinful destiny and continued bondage/fear."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Power of satya and saṅkalpa in transforming karma","core_concept":"A sincere vow and truthful intent can dissolve hostility and alter outcomes; inner resolve (dṛḍha-niścaya) is karmically efficacious.","practical_application":"When seeking release from fear/obstruction, align speech with genuine intent; let commitments be instruments of ethical repair, not manipulation."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Narrative literature","Consequences and resolution"]
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 155.45–46 (release, devotion, dance)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha narrates: Sudhana’s final oath-line hangs in the air; the brahmarākṣasa’s fierce demeanor softens into satisfaction, signaling imminent release.","item_prompts":["Varāha as narrator-presence (aura or seated divine figure)","Sudhana finishing the oath","brahmarākṣasa’s expression shifting from wrath to calm","light breaking through darkness to mark resolution"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Varāha shown as divine narrator at one side with halo; central scene of rākṣasa softening; warm highlights emerging from dark background.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Varāha with ornate crown and gold halo; rākṣasa rendered with subdued menace; gold rays indicating ‘santuṣṭa’.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant composition—Varāha’s calm authority, Sudhana’s humility, rākṣasa’s softened gaze; gentle gradation of light.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative split—Varāha speaking in a cloud-like cartouche; below, the encounter with the rākṣasa turning benign; delicate landscape dawn hints."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Settling, authoritative","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, composed, gently conclusive"}
FAQs
It marks a narrative shift to the formal narrator voice (“Varāha said”), a common Purāṇic compositional feature used to structure dialogue and embedded stories.
No location is named in this verse.
The passage highlights the efficacy of truthful resolve and accountability, leading to a transformation in the listener (the brahmarākṣasa).
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